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You may have heard about them or seen them in the neighborhood before a yard sale. Frankly, it is hard to miss them. Their pick-up trucks are brimming with stuff. Their eyes are focused on driveways rather than roadways. As Butch Cassidy or Sundance Kid asked: Who are these guys (or gals)? They are garage sale "early birds," determined buyers who go to a garage sale before it even opens, hoping to get the first look and the first buy.
Quite often garage sale early birds are re-selling their purchases. They deal in garage sale fare as their main or secondary source of income. Their business inventory is derived from the treasure hunt. Essentially, they buy stuff at garage sales cheaply and then they resell them. The resale occurs on line, often on Ebay or Craigslist. They may also resale at flea markets, antique stores, or consignment shops. Because this is their "business," with a capital B, they are often determined, assertive and matter-of-fact in their garage sale dealings.
Many people believe that it is unfair to allow anyone to look at the stuff for sale at a garage sale before the sale starts. If the sale starts at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, these people say, that is when you should begin your sale and keep the playing field level. (This does avoid the embarrassing situation which can occur when an ordinary shopper arrives at 9:00 for your advertised roll top desk and it is gone.) If your philosophy matches this, then justice might encourage you to avoid early birds.
Some people do not care to whom they sell what. However, they may not want shoppers on their property intruding in their lives during hours beyond those set forth in their garage sale ads. Early birds are known to knock on doors and ring doorbells. Some people are not okay with strangers coming to their homes other during the hours of the scheduled sale.
The garage sale early bird is very difficult to avoid, especially if a seller has done everything well. They can be minimized, nonetheless. Make sure that your advertisements say that there will not be any early sales. Specifically state "no early birds." Do not open your garage door before the sale. Similarly, place a note on your garage door and your front door announcing the exact time that the doors will open for garage sale business. (Remember that garage sales usually do start 15 to 30 minutes before the advertised time, per custom.) Early bird sales tend to be discouraged in the absence of negotiating, so stay firm on your prices in the earliest going of the sale.
* State in your advertisements that there are no early birds or no presales. * Close the doors of your home, including your garage door until the sale is scheduled to begin, which is, according to usual custom 15-30 minutes earlier than the specified time. * Do not encourage "bad" early bird behavior. Do not be bullied into changing your prices, opening your garage door, or bringing out different stuff that you had not planned on selling at a garage sale (like gold.)
One more thing. It is not early birding to arrive at a garage sale 30 minutes before the scheduled opening. That is standard garage sale practice.
Quite often garage sale early birds are re-selling their purchases. They deal in garage sale fare as their main or secondary source of income. Their business inventory is derived from the treasure hunt. Essentially, they buy stuff at garage sales cheaply and then they resell them. The resale occurs on line, often on Ebay or Craigslist. They may also resale at flea markets, antique stores, or consignment shops. Because this is their "business," with a capital B, they are often determined, assertive and matter-of-fact in their garage sale dealings.
Many people believe that it is unfair to allow anyone to look at the stuff for sale at a garage sale before the sale starts. If the sale starts at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, these people say, that is when you should begin your sale and keep the playing field level. (This does avoid the embarrassing situation which can occur when an ordinary shopper arrives at 9:00 for your advertised roll top desk and it is gone.) If your philosophy matches this, then justice might encourage you to avoid early birds.
Some people do not care to whom they sell what. However, they may not want shoppers on their property intruding in their lives during hours beyond those set forth in their garage sale ads. Early birds are known to knock on doors and ring doorbells. Some people are not okay with strangers coming to their homes other during the hours of the scheduled sale.
The garage sale early bird is very difficult to avoid, especially if a seller has done everything well. They can be minimized, nonetheless. Make sure that your advertisements say that there will not be any early sales. Specifically state "no early birds." Do not open your garage door before the sale. Similarly, place a note on your garage door and your front door announcing the exact time that the doors will open for garage sale business. (Remember that garage sales usually do start 15 to 30 minutes before the advertised time, per custom.) Early bird sales tend to be discouraged in the absence of negotiating, so stay firm on your prices in the earliest going of the sale.
* State in your advertisements that there are no early birds or no presales. * Close the doors of your home, including your garage door until the sale is scheduled to begin, which is, according to usual custom 15-30 minutes earlier than the specified time. * Do not encourage "bad" early bird behavior. Do not be bullied into changing your prices, opening your garage door, or bringing out different stuff that you had not planned on selling at a garage sale (like gold.)
One more thing. It is not early birding to arrive at a garage sale 30 minutes before the scheduled opening. That is standard garage sale practice.
About the Author:
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